Agra

We woke up early this morning and headed to the train station to catch the 6:15am train to Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located. It was quite the adventure getting the right train. We had read to be very careful of people telling us our tickets were no good and that we had to buy new ones (conveniently through their guy). We made it into the station, but weren’t exactly sure where to go. As we were wandering around, a man (not in uniform and strangely enough not stopping any of the non-white people) stopped us and asked to see our tickets. He told us they were no good and directed us where we should go to get the correct tickets. Thanks to the guide book, we knew to completely ignore him and keep on going. We tried to ask a cop for help but the language barrier was too great. Finally, we just picked a spot and waited with our luggage while Joel tried to figure out where we should be. We knew we had the right train track, but weren’t sure where to be standing to load as there are several different compartments. We had paid for the executive cabin with assigned seats and air conditioning. I had spotted one other white couple and Joel headed in the direction they went. Finally, we figured out where to go and made it there in time for the train. As nice as “executive cabin” sounds, it was not so executive. But, when you are only paying about $14 a person for a 2 hour train ride it wasn’t bad. There was a/c, they served you drinks and a meal, and it was a much quicker ride to Agra than the 5 hour car ride which was the other option! Overall, we were pleased. We got to Agra and headed to the hotel. We were very excited about the hotel as it was our big splurge. We decided to treat Joel’s parents and ourselves to one really fabulous night at the Oberoi Amarvilas, a 5 star hotel rated #2 in Asia by “Conde Naste Traveler” and #6 in the world by “Travel + Leisure.” It was absolutely stunning. Every single room in the hotel has a view of the Taj Mahal. It is so close that the hotel drives you the 5 minutes to the Taj Mahal in a golf cart. Everything about the hotel was outstanding, but we decided to leave the comforts of the hotel and do some sightseeing. We had hired a car, driver, and guide for the 2 days we were there. They picked us up and took us to Itmad-ud-Daulah, also known as the “Baby Taj” and tomb of Mirza Ghiyath Beg. Next we went to Agra Fort. This is a red-sandstone fort built between 1565 and 1573. It was quite beautiful and was on the banks of the River Yamuna overlooking the Taj Mahal. It had so many different palaces, halls, and courtyards inside to look at. Here is an interesting story we learned about the Fort and Taj Mahal. “Shah Jahan built the Taj to enshrine the body of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died shortly after giving birth to her 14th child in 1631. The Shah was devastated by her death, and set out to create an unsurpassed, eternal monument to her memory.” Shortly after the completion of the Taj, the Shah’s son seized power and imprisoned Shah Jahan in a tower of the Fort where “legend has it he lived out his final years gazing wistfully at the Taj Mahal in the distance.” Some believe that while he was locked in the Fort, he actually died “not by grief, but by a massive overdose of opium and aphrodisiacs.” (The Rough Guide to India) I like the more poetic version myself though! It was very hot this day and the heat really got to Dick and Barbie (remember they came from Tulsa at about 75 degrees). They were troopers though and lasted as long as they could in the 104 degree weather, resting in the shade when they could. But, it finally got the best of them so they headed to the air conditioned car while Joel and I looked around a little longer. Our driver had told us on the way there that “Indian streets are a zoo!” We believed him after seeing camels, pigs, elephants, cows, goats, monkeys, and water buffalo in the streets. After touring the Agra Fort, we went back to the hotel to lie out at the pool. The pool was beautiful and the best part was, they brought everyone that came to the pool a tray with cold hand towels, frozen fruit skewers, bottles of water, and a water bottle sprayer-all complimentary! It was really the life of luxury for the short time we were there! Once we had relaxed, Barbie and I went out to do a little shopping before meeting the guys on one of the outdoor decks to watch the sunset over the Taj Mahal. Then we had a great dinner in the Indian restaurant at the hotel (I love North Indian food) followed by dessert and coffee served outside by the pool. It was a great day.